CHILDREN AND MASS MEDIA STEREOTYPES

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CHILDREN AND MASS MEDIA STEREOTYPES

• By
• Stephanie Desenclos Donna Fredericks

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Viewing Habits

• According to Tolerance.Org Parenting on
  Tolerance
• The average American Child spends more time in
  front of the television than in any classroom-
  racking up more than 18,000 hours of TV by high
  school graduation and 13,000 hours in the
  classroom.
• Furthermore, you do the math. Thats 5,000
  more hours soaking up stereotypes and
• misinformation than reading, discussing and
  learning about real people and cultures

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STEREOTYPES

• Stereotypes are understood to be different things
  to different people. describes them as being
  based on extreme characteristics attributed to
  the group with usually negative values attached
  to that group. added that a stereotype is
  applied, whenever a group is depicted or
  portrayed in such a way that all its members
  appear to have the same characteristics,
  attitudes or life conditions.

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USES OF STEREOTYPES

• Were all guilty of using stereotypes and having
  prejudices, whether consciously or unconsciously.
  We use them all the time, more often than not
  without even realizing it.
• According to the May/June 1998 edition of
  Psychology Todays magazine. The article Where
  Bias begins the truth about stereotypes written
  by Annie Murphy Paul
• He argues we all use stereotypes _ we take into
  account the gender, the
• age, the color, of the persons skin before us,
  and our minds respond with messages that say
  hostile , stupid, slow, weak
• We basically came to realization that they dont
  reflect reality. our preconceptions of the
  other are based on our personnel experiences
  coupled with the misinterpretations of images
  spoon fed to us by the media on the daily basis

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Research studies
RESEARCH STUDIES
John Bargh of New York University concludes even
if there is a kernel of truth in the stereotypes,
Youre still applying a generalization about a
group to an Individual which is always
incorrect. Accuracy aside, some Believe that
the use of stereotypes is simply unjust.
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CHILDREN NOW

• Childrens understanding of the ethnically
  diverse world around them is shaped by the images
  they encounter in the media during their early
  exposure
• Research demonstrates that children get messages
  about race by seeing how often it members are
  portrayed in the media.

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CHILD NOW RESEARCH ARGUES

• Media grant legitimacy through recognition and
  respect shown to racial groups
• The recognition and respect occurs only with
  positive roles in the media. The research
  argues that the absence of ethnic groups suggest,
  they are not worthy of viewers attention, while
  stereotypes or negatively- valued roles indicate
  that they are not worthy of respect
• The study also found that its important for
  children to see members of their own race on
  television

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Stereotypes depicted in childrens media
representation of various populations in
childrens media

• GENDER ROLES
• females
• Males
• Ethnic groups
• African Americans
• males criminals

Wash dishes
VS
Being in corporate world
STRONG
crime
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SOLUTIONSParents

• Limit childrens TV exposure
• Remove TVs from childrens bedroom
• Teach your children about tolerance for other
  races and cultures
• Create opportunities for discussion to talk
  about stereotypes in the media. Watch television
  together. Identify stereotypes together with
  your children
• Discuss differences between reality and make
  believe images
• Deconstruct the media reality with your
  children
• Take advantage of spontaneous teaching
  opportunities

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SOLUTIONSeducators.

• In the classroom teach tolerance
• Assist in the deconstruction of childrens media
  realities every time the opportunity arises
• Mix up class room. Pair students with children of
  other races
• Media awareness and media education should become
  a part of the curriculum in all school districts
  in the U.S.

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Pediatrician Physicians

• Physicians should become educated about the
  public health risks of media exposure
• Physicians should incorporate questions about
  media use into their patients routine visits
• Urge parents to avoid television viewing for
  children under two years of age
• Should alert and educate parents , children,
  teachers and others
• Collaborate with other professionals to promote
  media education
• encourage government funding of medical
  education programs for schools and media
  education research

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CONCLUSION
In summary, the mass media and never ending
exposure to it by children strongly influences
their perceptions of various groups of people as
presented in our paper with documented
studies.. Our future will depend upon our
ability to develop positive racial identities
and an appreciation for Diversity clearly
(the) media is only one of many influences in
childrens lives, but young people believe that
it has both the power to break down stereotypes
and the potential to build greater
understanding (Mnet)